Campus Talk: Hendrix College To Meet 100% Financial Need For Arkansans Who Qualify

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HENDRIX COLLEGE TO MEET 100% FINANCIAL NEED FOR ARKANSANS WHO QUALIFY
Conway-based Hendrix College will meet 100% of the financial need for any Arkansas high school student who qualifies for the new Hendrix Arkansas Advantage.

Starting with enrollment in the 2015 fall semester, the Hendrix Arkansas Advantage is for Arkansas high school seniors who have a 3.6 or higher GPA and who have a 27 ACT or above or 1200 SAT (excluding Writing) or above. The program will meet students’ demonstrated financial need through all forms of financial assistance, including merit scholarships, need-based grants, federal and state grants, federal student loans and student employment.

“Hendrix has always been a place for Arkansas students to have a world-class liberal arts experience in their home state, and we always should be,” said Hendrix President Bill Tsutsui. “We should never, ever, be out of reach for Arkansas students.”

For more information on Hendrix Arkansas Advantage, visit www.hendrix.edu/arkansasadvantage.

UA TO HONOR THREE AT FALL COMMENCEMENT
Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe; Mike Duke, the former president and CEO of Walmart Stores Inc.; and Andrew Hamilton, the vice chancellor of the University of Oxford, will receive honorary degrees and speak to graduating students as part of the University of Arkansas fall commencement. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, in Barnhill Arena.

“The University of Arkansas is proud to be able to honor these three outstanding individuals,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “They have each made extraordinary contributions in their respective fields: government service, business and education.”

CONSULTING GROUP SAYS ARKANSAS SCHOLARSHIP LOTTERY CONFUSING, MISTRUSTED
A key recommendation from a consultant hired to study the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery recommended more gubernatorial control over the independent agency.

UK-based Camelot Global Services said the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery is experiencing declining revenue because it offers too many games and is negatively perceived by potential customers. Camelot presented the analysis to a legislative committee Friday (Dec. 5). Richard Bateson,Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Camelot says Arkansas should reduce prize payout and better promote the lottery. Read more of his presentation of recommendations to legislators at this link.

ASU BOARD DISCUSSES FUTURE GROWTH
A new Arkansas State University System office in Little Rock and recently launched website are the latest steps toward increasing visibility and preparing for system expansion.

System president Dr. Charles L. Welch told members of the ASU Board of Trustees at its meeting Friday (Dec. 5) that the system is better positioned to serve its institutions and constituencies while advocating support for higher education. The ASU System has moved to the newly renovated sixth floor of the 501 Building, which is directly across from the front steps of the State Capitol.

The system re-launched its website, ASUSystem.edu, to provide information about the system and its campuses. The Arkansas State Marketing and Creative Services interactive team designed and developed the site. The board approved a resolution designating the ASU System president’s residence in west Little Rock as The Herbert H. McAdams II House. Read more here.

REPORT DETAILS SCHOOL BROADBAND FIX, ARE-ON OPTIONAL
Arkansas is ahead of the national average when it comes to school broadband access and can meet its goals without additional state dollars, the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway reported Friday (Dec. 5).

The report, “Smarter Spending for Smarter Students: Upgrading Arkansas’ K-12 Broadband,” offers a number of encouraging observations as schools try to reach broadband connection speeds of 100 kilobits per second (kbps) per student by 2015 and 1 megabit per second by 2018.

Among the observations from the report: No additional state dollars are needed. The cost for that higher target is about $30 million a year – an amount the state can raise by better using existing state funds and leveraging funding through eRate, a federal program that pays for expanding broadband access through telecommunications fees. What else is in this K-12 assessment and why does it matter? Read the full story here.